Book-crazy. No, I mean it.

Well, here we are. The book is out. This is a picture of the cover (squee!). I’m excited, exhausted, elated, freaked out, nervous, very happy, terrified, anxious, pleased as punch, sick to my stomach… well, you get the idea. The weight of the pressure of success is enormous — which makes it like riding a big wave off Hawaii. Which I have never done, because I fear sharks and drowning, and also a long flight to Hawaii over miles of open water. But I digress.

Anyhoo, the book is out, and if you like Doris and her diaries, hie thee to a bookstore and beg them to carry it. Especially Books, Inc. and Copperfield’s, and Powell’s (Portland), as well as Barnes and Noble (They have some kind of sweetheart deal with iUniverse.). They are all the likeliest candidates on the block. But if you have a local bookstore that carries it, will you let me know? Because I want to say very nice things to that bookstore.

So what’s on my agenda? How am I dealing with it all? What the heck am I doing? Oh, gosh. How to begin? I spent yesterday writing follow-up emails to people who had expressed interest in Portland and the Bay Area about book events. Each letter had to be hand-crafted and tailored to that event or person so this was starting afresh for each. I think I sent out about eight of these — following up, as I say, on events in Portland — there are two drinkie-evenings with storytelling, two day-long educational opportunities (one college, one private school), three independent bookstore/chains, and a women’s club in LA. I have more outreach to LA, and soon as I get that settled, I get on to Albuquerque and those events, and then I can get busy with Arizona. And then I can buy my train tickets. And then I can pack and go.

But first: I have to get my danged costumes ready. I have one kind of ready. I have accessories for another one ready. I have materials and patterns for 3 dresses. Nothing more done there. But I need costumes by September, as I am going to several vintage clothing events and antiques events where I can promote the book. Also going to the Gatsby Summer Afternoon picnic, hosted by the Art Deco Society of California, which should be yummy fun. I have to, HAVE TO get myself dressed for that before Sept. 9.

The Rebel Girl

I have ordered promotional postcards. I have bookmarks in the design phase. I have recipe cards for the Doris cocktail, aka The Rebel Girl, ready to print — but we need to make them one more time to make sure the recipe is good and not just the strange result of too much mixology and tasting our own wares. I may want to re-photograph it, too. Otherwise, ready to hit “send” and get those printed up. My dining room-office has piles of newspapers and magazines to whom I plan to send PR. There’s also a large box with Doris coffee mugs and diaries. I need to buy some fountain pens. These are raffle prizes. I am excited to see those come out at upcoming events.

What else? I have finished my freelance work for the fall. I would ordinarily be drumming up work for December-March right now (long deadlines in the magazine world), but am taking a hiatus from that work. I can’t commit to doing local interviews, etc, for publications while I’m on the road talking about Doris. So here’s hoping for success, and that I don’t regret having turned down steady work (look ——> leap of faith…..)

Um. Also. A virtual book tour in November. Contacting sister and fellow bloggers to connect and appear in their blogs without leaving my chair in November. Planning a speakeasy event in Petaluma. Planning a speakeasy event in Alameda. Planning a speakeasy event in San Francisco. Fashion and music. Hairdos and beverages. And continuing to transcribe Doris’s next diaries so that the next volume marches onward.

That’s what I’m doing. It’s all good. It’s a lot of fun. It’s exciting. It’s scary. See first paragraph for cocktail shaker of emotions. Agitate. Pour over ice. Add paper umbrella with a cherry and orange slice impaled on it.  Sip.

If you have purchased your book, no matter where you got it, go to Amazon and write a review for me? It moves the book up the charts if people review it. It bumps it up on Google as well as online retailers. Thank you. Here’s a quick link to that site (hold your smart phone up to the QR code). Or, just click here.

And…if you see the book in a bookstore, will you snap a photo and send it to me? I would be so thrilled to see it there. I would get in my car and drive there and stand by the display and weep openly. That would be awesome. Thank you.

I’ll be blogging here more often as this project progresses. My Green House is chillin’ and getting ready for winter, and we haven’t worked on it, so no “green” posts for the meanwhile. No more chickens, no more laundry line. Just me and a book, heading for the open road. What’s not to like?  🙂

Facebook Conversations

comments